Attraction Unexpected
by Pink-Green-White-4ever
Summary: With twentyfirst birthdays to celebrate, wild drinks on tap, and innuendos flying, Syd and Sky find something neither realized they were looking for.


**Attraction Unexpected  
By:** Pink-Green-White-4ever  
**Last Revised:** April 2, 2006

**Summary:** With twenty-first birthdays to celebrate, wild drinks on tap, and innuendos flying, Syd and Sky find something neither realized they were looking for  
**Rating:** M  
**Ship:** SS, minor BZ, JA, KB

**AN:** The names of the drinks are real, and were found at ALSO! **THERE IS A MA VERSION OF THIS STORY**, complete with a deleted scene, **POSTED ON MY WEBSITE**! See the link in my profile!

**Dedication:** _Jamie_ – THANK YOU doesn't seem enough. You've helped me so much on this piece, even when you had tons of other stuff to do of your own; you still made time to help me. YOU ROCK!

--

The last place Sky Tate wanted to be was in a jam-packed club, with too much smoke, music that was loud enough to rupture an eardrum, and people too drunk to do much more than practically have sex with each other in front of other people. And the only reason he was in here was because they were celebrating Bridge and Z's twenty-first birthdays, and the birthday boy and girl wanted to do something spontaneous at the last minute.

"Sky, lighten up man," Jack joked, nudging him in the side with his elbow.

Sky just let one eyebrow arch in response. Jack was sitting next to him, his arm slung over the shoulders of the pretty blonde next to him. Ally was cuddled under his arm. She was getting looks from some of the guys in the vicinity for the dress she was wearing, but she didn't seem to mind; her attention was focused solely on Jack.

On the other side of Sky, Kat and Boom were talking quietly, the two seemingly out of place. The former ranger noted, however, that Kat seemed to be a bit more comfortable in the club that Boom did; the blonde man looked out of his element. On the other side of Kat and Boom were Z and Bridge, each grinning as they shared their first legal drinks together. Sky could only shake his head and smile at the pair. He had ordered Bridge a Screwdriver, while Z had gone for something hard. Half way through Bridge's Screwdriver Z had talked him into doing a shot of something with her.

Z looked excited and Bridge looked nervous. Sky watched them smile at each other and then toss back their glasses. Z looked liked she'd done it before; Bridge looked like he'd seen a ghost. The former Green Ranger had gone pale and was slowly turning green.

"YUCK!"

"My God woman, what did you give him?" Jack laughed at Z.

Z grinned. "A Pucker-Fucker." Boom looked shocked, Kat and Ally were laughing, and Sky and Jack could only shake their heads. Reaching over, Z had to pound on Bridge's back to get him to stop coughing. "You ok?"

"I'm f-f-fine!" Bridge gasped, choking on the drink first, and the name that came out of Z's mouth second. He knew Z talked dirty, he'd just never actually heard it.

"Maybe you should just stick to the drink Sky ordered for you," Z told him, her voice lost in the pounding of the bass from the song the D.J. had just put on.

Sky shook his head, and then finally noticed that they were missing someone. "Has anyone seen Syd?" Sky called over the music. Most everyone shrugged, but Kat pointed toward the dance floor.

There was a pair of dancers in plain view of the table where the former Rangers sat. The guy was young, dark haired, about Jack's height. Sky didn't pay him much attention, as his eyes were riveted on the young woman with him. From head to toe, Sydney Drew looked like sin.

Her legs were encased in knee-high black leather boots and a tight, really short, black leather mini skirt. Her jacket had been abandoned in favor of the tiny, light pink halter top with a heart shaped neckline and little strings that criss-crossed her back, showing off more skin than Sky had ever seen on her before. Her long blonde hair was piled on the top of her head in a clip, little wisps cascading down to frame her heart-shaped face. Her eyes were closed, lips turned up in a sultry smile, one that had Sky's heart starting to soar.

Of course, Sky knew the way her body was bumping and grinding against her dance partner's might have been another, more plausible reason for his heart rate to have suddenly soared. And why the hell was he suddenly disturbed to see her practically having sex with some unknown guy in a club.

"Damn! Syd looks hot out there," Jack muttered, just loud enough for Sky to hear him.

For his part, Sky just kept staring at Sydney, unable to take his eyes off her. He'd been having a problem doing that a lot recently. He'd find himself staring at her intensely, at the oddest times, or when he should be concentrating on something else. They'd been teammates and best friends since their teen years, but it was only recently that Sky had started to notice little things – the way her hair shined in the sunlight, the way her lips would automatically turn into a pout when she was upset about something, but the thing he seemed to remember most was the color of her eyes when she was looking back at him. Her eyes were a lovely shade of light blue with a dark navy ring on the outside.

"Sky? Did you hear me?" Jack asked.

"Huh? What?"

The other members of the group just smiled. "I asked what you were staring at."

Sky looked flustered, but knew denying what his eyes had been taking in would get him teased for sure. It was a common joke among Z, Jack, and Bridge at least, that Sky was falling for Sydney. He'd tried to deny it, but by and by, he was starting to think they were right. What else would explain his weirdness around Syd these days when they used to have a comfortable friendship?

"I was staring at Sydney," Sky muttered, causing Jack to grin from ear to ear. "Is it just me, or are they dancing a little too close for having just met tonight?"

"That's Cadet Kevin Wheeler," Z butted in. "He's on track to being the next Blue Ranger for B Squad when the current team graduates. It's hard to believe the team that followed us is already ready to step down from being Rangers."

How ironic that Sydney should be dancing with a man who was taking the spot he once held, he thought silently. "Syd certainly has a thing for Blue Rangers, doesn't she?" Ally cracked, nudging Jack in the side.

"That depends," Jack laughed. "Z, is he broody, by the book, and walks with a stick up his butt?"

While everyone else snickered at Jack's question, Sky just glared at his friend. "Funny, smart-ass, real funny."

"Hey guys!" Sydney suddenly chirped, walking up to the table with Kevin in tow. "Kevin, you know everyone, right?"

"Yeah," Kevin nodded. "Look, Syd, I've got to go. The guys are probably ready to head to the other club. See you around the academy?"

"Of course!" Sydney giggled, hugging him before letting him leave. She turned back to stare at the others, and was surprised by the looks on most of their faces. "What?"

Bridge, Jack and Boom remained silent, while Kat and Ally laughed. Sky and Z looked at each other before Z spoke up. "How much have you had to drink already?"

"Let's see…I had a Cosmopolitan when we got here, and Kevin and I had a few shots of something or another. Why?" Just as Syd asked that, a new song started thrumming through the club, making Syd smile. "Oooh! I love this song! I'm gonna go dance! See ya!"

"Okay…."

Sky couldn't help it; he knew he was drooling. Sydney's backside looked entirely too appealing in that leather mini skirt, not to mention the large expanse of skin her top was showing off. "Come on Bridge, let's dance!" Z laughed, tugging his arm. The group laughed at Bridge who was looking entirely too off balance thanks to the drinks.

"Want to dance?" Jack asked Ally, holding his hand out to her.

"Certainly."

Sky watched them head onto the dance floor, and turned to see Kat tugging Boom out as well. Poor Boom looked unsure of Kat's suggestion, but went anyways. Before he knew it, Sky was sitting at their table all by himself. His eyes zeroed in on his best friend and he felt his temperature rise.

She was standing in the middle of the dance floor, all on her own, moving her hips back and forth to the rhythm of the beat. Her arms were raised, her hands shifting through her hair, which had come out of the clip. There were probably half a dozen guys watching her as she zoned out to the music. Shaking his head, even as he pushed up from the table, Sky wondered exactly what he was going to do when he got to her.

The first thing he did was shoot evil glares at the guys crowding her. Some of them looked at him, as if they were sizing him up, but the fire in his eyes must have scared them off, because they all backed up and left her alone. Smiling, Sky did something he normally wouldn't do – he touched her without asking. Carefully, Sky slid his arms around her waist and pulled her back against him, before tilting his head over her shoulder.

She didn't even jump, just continued dancing, but she did turn her head and smile up at him. Sky noticed the look on her face and wondered if she had known it was him before she opened her eyes.

Together they moved to the music, Sydney rotating her hips in such a way that every time she moved back, she was bumping into Sky. The former Pink Ranger couldn't help but grin; every time her body came in contact with Sky's, she could feel what her dancing was doing to him, and it excited and pleased her. Sky seemed to never have enough fun. His breathing was coming a little harsher than she'd ever heard it, and his grip on her hips tightened every time she shifted just subtly against the growing bulge in his pants. Had she ever seen him like this with anyone else? Not that she could recall, she thought, bringing her arms up over her head and hooking her hands behind Sky's neck.

Shaking her head, Sydney heard the tempo of the song shift subtly, signaling the end. For a split second, she debated what she was about to do, but the alcohol she'd consumed and the natural high she was on from dancing ruled out her common sense for a fraction of a moment. Suddenly, she turned so that she was facing Sky, their bodies pressed closer together than before. One hand stayed on the back of his neck while the other came down and fisted against his heart. Their bodies continued to rock together along with the beat, and Sydney suddenly felt dizzy at the rush she felt from having Sky so close.

The song was only seconds from ending. The dance floor was packed, bodies bumping into each other both intentionally and unintentionally. Just as the song started to fade, she heard a low growl from her partner. "You have no idea what I want to do to you right now."

Syd blinked rapidly as he suddenly left her on the dance floor, shock prevalent on her face. She hadn't been expecting his comment, or his sudden departure at the end of the song. Her first thought once the shock wore off was that something had changed between her and Sky. He'd always been the safe one to be with, because he hardly paid attention to her in a capacity more than siblings or best friends. She'd flirted with both Bridge and Jack at a point in time, thinking both might be safe to date. That lasted all of five minutes when they started acting more like her rather than someone she wanted to date. It said something about him, when she could still feel the heat of Sky's body pressed against her back, the ghost of his large, strong hands on her hips, the feel of his lips grazing her neck ever so slightly. She'd never had that experience with any other man. As soon as all the others had let her go, that was the end of it. Why was it now, and why Sky, that she would be haunted by him leaving her like that?

--

For what seemed like the millionth time, Sydney tried to not unconsciously compare her current dance partner to Sky. It wasn't working. The man she danced with was in his early thirties, well built, blonde, green-eyed…but he wasn't Sky. He didn't make her feel safe, secure, and hot and bothered all at the same time the way Sky suddenly seemed to tonight.

'God, I really am starting to hate him now! He's ruining all my fun and he doesn't even know it!' she snarled to herself, pushing her partner away slightly. "I'm sorry. I'm not feeling all that great all of a sudden. Thanks for the dance." And with that, she turned and fled back toward the gang's table.

"Can I get you a drink miss?" the waitress asked. Sky looked surprised when he saw her sit down next to him. She knew she was looking hot and bothered, and was only marginally pleased to see he was too. She had to admit, he was looking damn fine in the dark slacks and the navy button up.

"Screaming Orgasm, please," she told her. She saw the words register with his brain, and then Sky choked on the sip he'd taken from his drink. "Ohmygosh! Sky, are you ok?" Syd asked, trying to hide her smile, while thumping his back a few times as he coughed.

"I'm fine!" he gasped, sucking air in carefully. "Screaming orgasm, huh?"

She gave him a side long glance and grinned. If he hadn't had his mind in the gutter before, her next comment would put it there, she'd make sure of it. "Yeah. You going to give me one?"

Sky turned toward her, his face completely blank, though one eyebrow seemed to be twitching up. Her jaw dropped when he replied, in his no nonsense tone, "I'm sure I could."

"Your drink, miss," the waitress said, setting it down. "Six fifty."

Startled, Sydney reached into her boot and paid her and then turned to Sky, taking a sip from her drink as she did so. She took a few moments to compose herself, and then decided to act as if nothing happened. "So what's up with you? You've been sitting here since we danced, and I know you had girls over here asking you to dance. What gives?"

"Maybe I didn't feel like dancing with any of them," Sky told her, suddenly getting defensive. Why was she pushing the issue? One would think with her knowing him as well as she did she'd know not to go there.

"Sky, what happened out there on the dance floor?" she straight up asked him, deciding the direct approach was best with him. She was pissed at spending the better part of two hours obsessing about what happened between them. Especially since it ruined any fun she could have had after their dance. Not to mention made her feel awkward to be around him.

Sydney watched him shift his drink between his hands, saw his Adam's apple bob back and forth every single time he swallowed, and yet, she wasn't the least bit surprised he remained silent. Just when she was about to open her mouth, the table was invaded by the rest of the gang.

"Syd!" Z laughed, dropping down in the seat next to Sydney.

The blonde turned a smile to her best girl friend and laughed. Z wasn't drunk, that much Syd could tell, but the former Yellow Ranger was definitely buzzed. "Having a good time, Birthday Girl?"

"Hell yeah!" Z announced. "Hey, help me figure out what my last drink for the night should be. I want something fruity."

Sydney shook her head. "You've been drinking hard stuff all night, and now you want something with sugar?"

"Yeah, and with a wild name! I already gave Bridge a Pucker-Fucker."

Her blue eyes widened, and then Syd turned toward the blushing former Green and Blue Ranger. "Bridgey, didn't you like it?"

"Vodka isn't for me," he told her, his words slightly slurred.

Sydney just nodded. "Well, Z, do you want something wild or something dirty sounding?" Sydney asked, an idea popping into her head.

"SOMETHING DIRTYYYYYY!" Z shouted.

"I think she's had enough," Jack muttered, sitting down on the other side of Sky.

"One more drink, then we'll haul her home," Sydney giggled. "Ok, Z, try this one," Syd told her friend and then turned to the waitress when she came back. When she did, Sydney motioned for her to lean down closer to her. "Can we get a Cocktease please?"

The waitress nodded and took the others' orders. "Cocktease?" Kat asked with a wide grin on her face.

"Hey, what girl can resist a drink like that?" Sydney laughed. Z nodded her head vigorously, Ally started laughing, and the boys all looked shocked or mortified by Syd's words.

"What's in it?" Ally spoke up, intrigued.

Sydney grinned at her. "Raspberry and vanilla rum and pineapple and cranberry juice."

"You're drink, Ma'am," the waitress said, setting the drink down in front of Z.

"Sydney, thank you for my Cocktease!" Z laughed, and then downed the drink.

The others shook their heads, while Sydney grinned at Z who set her glass down none too lightly. "Yeah, thanks for the tease Syd," Sky muttered, just loud enough for Sydney to hear him and turn to stare at him, her eyebrow lifting in silent challenge.

"I'll give you a tease, Schuyler Tate," Syd muttered, sliding off her chair and moving the few inches toward him. The others watched on in muted shock as Sydney threw one leg over Sky's and settled on his lap. Cat calls and hooting and hollering went up as Sydney grabbed his shirt and yanked him forward, slamming her lips to his.

--

Sky didn't even bother with turning on the lights. In fact, he probably couldn't have turned them on thanks to the woman currently clinging to his body. He was thankful for two things the second his door shut with a swoosh behind him – first that he knew his way to his bed as well as he did and second that he and Bridge were no longer roommates.

"Too many clothes," Sky growled, yanking his mouth from Syd's before he swooped down and began to feast on the lightly perfumed, sweaty skin of her neck. He smiled against her when she cried out in surprise and arched her body against his. She was so responsive to his touch, and every tiny whimper or moan had his own excitement growing in leaps and bounds.

"Sky!" Syd gasped, her fingers running through his hair, holding him close to her.

He didn't answer, merely continued nipping at her neck while strategically moving them back further into his room toward his bed. He managed, even with the delightful distraction of kissing her, to stop a few inches from his bed before they both toppled over. "Sydney?"

"Hmmm?" she practically purred, her hands sliding from his hair, down his arms and back up to his chest.

"Are you sure?" he rasped against her neck, his lips moving up to her earlobe where he gently bit it and then sucked it into his mouth. "If not, you'd better…"

Sky let out a strangled cry which cut off his thoughts of asking her if she wanted to stop. Sydney was grinning up at him, her eyes half closed, one hand still on his chest but the other was slowly and methodically stroking him through his slacks. "What do you think?"

"Syd…"

"Yes, I'm sure," she grumbled, rolling her eyes at him. "Would you shut-up already and fuck me."

Sky pulled back far enough to raise an eyebrow at her. "It's always the quiet ones…" he muttered, before leaning down to kiss her again, this time letting one hand move from around her waist, up her side, so that he could cup her breast. Sky smiled against her lips when he felt the stiff point under her barely there top. A wicked idea popped into his head a second later, causing him to wrench his mouth away from Syd's.

"Skyyyyy!" she whined softly when he stopped kissing her. Her eyes widened when, in the next second, Sky's mouth closed over her nipple through her top. "OHHH!"

He didn't verbally respond, choosing instead to nip and tease her left breast through her top. After several minutes, he moved his mouth over and nipped at the other, laving the same attention on it as he had the first. "Mmmmm!"

Feeling the need to kiss her again, Sky lifted his head and slanted his mouth over hers, groaning when her tongue carefully pressed against his lips before going wild in his mouth when he gave her permission. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he rationalized all the reasons why this shouldn't be happening – she was his best friend, his teammate, they'd known each other too long and too well to ruin it with sex – but it was the one reason he continually came up with for them to proceed that outshined all others – he was in love with her, a fact he'd only fully accepted earlier that night.

Pulling back to catch his breath, Sky looked down at her and smiled. Her eyes were closed, her mouth was open just enough for her to suck in quick breaths, and her lips were swollen from his kisses. Carefully, he slid a hand to her waist, his fingers dancing in a caress over the smooth skin of her stomach which peeked out from her waistband. He felt his heart simply burst when she looked up at him, her need and something more, something elusive, shining in her eyes. "This is going to change everything, isn't it?" she softly asked, reaching up to cup his face with her hands. There were tears in her eyes, but Sky wasn't sure if they were good or bad.

"Everything's already changed, Syd," he whispered back, his voice soft and breathy.

Sydney licked her lips and nodded that she understood what he'd meant. Now was the time for loving, the morning would come soon enough, and with it, a long, serious discussion of their future. Wanting to distract both of them from what was to come with dawn, Sydney stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, her arms sliding around his neck.

Hours later, they were cuddled together, both falling asleep. Before he was completely out, Sky had the presence of mind to roll her off his chest gently and went to take care of what he needed to. When he came back, he gazed down at her lying curled in his bed, her breathing even and her eyes closed. She seemed to be larger than life more often than not, but when she was nearly asleep, Sky was amazed at how small she really was. Shaking his head, he crawled under the covers with her and pulled her into his arms.

"I love you, Sydney Drew," he whispered in her ear, falling asleep.

--

There was just something so right about waking up in the strong, warm embrace of the man who possessed her like no other had. Sydney had been laying there for nearly fifteen minutes, cheek resting against the smooth, tanned skin of Sky's chest. His heart beat a steady rhythm under her ear, making her smile. She was relaxed, comfortable, and for the first time in a long time, she felt like she was right where she was meant to be.

Loving Sky was not going to be an easy thing, but she knew that what they had already been through together over the years had cemented and nurtured a bond that would only grow as time wore on. For the first time in her life, Sydney could absolutely say she was in love. Yes, she'd had crushes before. She'd had sex with other men. But none of them had touched her so deep inside, not like Sky had the night before.

It wasn't just the way he'd made love to her either, though she knew she'd be walking with a noticeable limp for a day or two. No, it had been his need for her, coupled with the love she saw shining in his eyes, which had sunk her. As scared as she was of this new phase, as new and bright as being in love with him was to her, she knew, without a shadow of a doubt he felt the same way. Who knew the ever-reserved, stick-up-his-butt, Sky Tate could love that way? She did, and if she had anything to say about it, she'd be the only one who knew that.

"You look content." His voice rumbled in his chest, tickling her ear, and making her smile.

"That's because I am," she replied, bringing one delicate hand up to stifle a yawn. Moving ever so slightly, she managed to stare up at him, her heart shining in her eyes. "Good morning." Sky just grinned at her before leaning down to kiss her. "Someone's in a good mood this morning."

"For once, I'll concede that you're right, but don't tell anyone," he teased, moving some of her hair out of her face, his fingers caressing her cheek. "Time for that talk, huh?"

Sydney nodded. "It's better if we do this now, instead of later when we've had time to talk ourselves out of it." Sighing, she pulled away and sat up, using the sheet to cover her breasts.

Sighing, Sky sat up with her, leaning against the headboard. "Syd…"

"Just tell me one thing," she interrupted, wanting to know what he was thinking before she poured her heart out.

"What?"

Sydney looked at him, tears starting to well in her eyes. "Did you mean what you said last night, right before we fell asleep?"

Sky looked startled that she'd remember what he'd said, especially when he barely remembered what he'd said. They'd both been a little buzzed off the alcohol, and then, adding on the haze from them having sex, there was no way most people would remember what had happened, much less what was said.

She took his silence and shocked expression to be bad. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that."

"Syd, I…"

"No, it's okay. Forget I ever said anything," she whispered, then saw the clock. "I need to go. I have a demonstration with the D-Squad in an hour." She moved slowly, so she didn't touch him, and found her clothes at the end of the bed.

"Sydney."

She didn't respond, not until he pressed his lips to her bare shoulder and slid his legs to either side of her so she was practically sitting in his lap. His hands grasped her waist, holding her close to him. Her only response then was to shudder at the touch.

"Sky?"

"Don't go mad," he whispered, his lips nibbling on her ear. "You just shocked the hell out of me, because I wasn't exactly expecting you to remember what I said."

"I was buzzed, not drunk, thank you very much," she hissed at him.

Sky just grinned at her. "Oh trust me, I know," he whispered. "You certainly made good on your tease last night. But seriously," he started, choosing his words carefully. "Sydney, I meant what I said last night. I'm not going to take it back, but you were right when you said everything's going to change."

"It changed a lot more than either of us was expecting, didn't it?"

"Yeah."

"Sky?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

Sky kissed her shoulder, and then murmured, "I love you too."


End file.
